Psychology celebrating Mary Lysenchuk’s 50 years at Lakehead University

Lakehead’s Department of Psychology will soon celebrate the
fact that Mary Lysenchuk has worked at the University for 50 years.

She applied in person on Friday, Aug. 25, 1967, shortly after
graduating from high school.

“I met with the HR officer,” Mary said. “She took me to the
Library and Mr. Belton, the Chief Librarian, dictated a letter that I had to
type as a test. When I got home that day I received a call informing me I got
the job.”

Mary still remembers her first day as Library Assistant –
Monday, Aug. 28, 1967 – typing catalogue files, which was how they kept track
of where each book was located.

“That first day was pretty busy,” Mary said. “In the past you
sat at your desk for seven hours and your head was down, typing. Jobs have
changed a lot since then.”

In 1969 the administrative assistant position became available
in Psychology. Mary thought it would be the perfect job so she applied and was
selected for the position.

It was a smaller group of employees and students on campus back
then.

“We had offices in the Braun building, which was one of the
few buildings on campus. Everyone knew
one another and there was a family-like atmosphere. Everyone was engaged in
helping the university grow and prosper.
Every Friday afternoon everyone socialized in the Faculty Lounge,” she
said.

Psychology has grown from offering a Master’s program in 1968
to now also having an accredited PhD program, which the department began
offering in 1995.

Technology also changed a lot over the years. When she started
working as a Departmental Assistant, Mary worked on a typewriter. Every memo
and letter was dictated and then transcribed.
Research papers were typed and retyped because if there was a change in
the first page, then the whole paper had to be retyped.

To make copies, she used a Ditto machine, then a Gestetner,
and then a Xerox machine.

In the 1980s, Mary got the first computer in her department, which
may have been the first on campus. “It was a Macintosh. It looked like a small box,”
she said. The screen was about six
inches and there was no hard drive. The
operating system was on a disk.

“A technician from the University’s computer department came
to show me how to use it. All the faculty stood around the computer in awe. I
was in the doorway and could not see a thing.
That was OK because I asked the technician to come back the next day to
give me the real training.”

Mary ended up teaching other employees how to use the computer.
She has also been very helpful to the 10 very different Psychology Chairs that
she worked with.

“One
time when I was first Chair, she asked me if there was anything she could help
me with,” said Dr. John Jamieson, a former Chair of Psychology.

“I
was struggling with a difficult administrative decision and I described it to
her. She gave me the solution! I learned from then on always to consult with
Mary when faced with a complex issue, since she knew how similar issues had
been resolved in the past,” he said. “She is a pillar of strength and wisdom, quietly
doing her job.”

Even after 50 years, Mary hasn’t announced a retirement date.
She said she will retire when she is ready.
Throughout her career, there were days when she felt sick, but she
usually went in anyway.

“I feel if I’m lucky enough to be healthy, I’m going to come
to work. I don’t take much time off.”

Mary has worked with thousands of students, many of whom are
now employed in Mental Health Services in Thunder Bay. She offered some advice
for young people starting out in a new job.

“Stay if you enjoy it. It is rare that you find a job that you
enjoy for 50 years. If you like where you are, stay there.”

When Mary retires, she will miss the wonderful people she
worked with the most. Mary worked with
Sheila Delin, the Test Librarian and Graduate Assistant in the Department of
Psychology for 35 years, who recently retired.

“We were a great team. Not only did we have a good working
relationship, we shared coffee breaks, lunches and many good and sad occasions for
35 years. It is a gift when you work with someone for so many years and you
work so well together.

“You come to work and you’ve got people coming into your
office; happy, friendly, young students, fresh minds, what more could you ask
for? It’s a good working environment.”

But she won’t miss having to leave the house on the snowy,
cold days early in the morning, and she won’t miss having to be on a schedule.

“The first Chairman that I worked for told me that it does not
matter what position you hold, everyone is important to the team. After working at Lakehead University for 50
years I have received nothing but respect and friendship.

“It has been my pleasure to be a member of this institution’s
community, surrounded by warm, kind and thoughtful people.”

On May 2, Dr. Brian Stevenson, Lakehead’s President and
Vice-Chancellor, recognized Mary’s dedication by presenting her with a small
gift at the Employee Service Recognition Reception.

The Psychology department will hold a reception to celebrate
Mary’s 50th anniversary at Lakehead on Friday, Sept. 8 from 3 to 5
pm in the Study Coffeehouse. All are welcome to attend.

Concur Training Sessions

With the new mandate that Concur must be
used by all faculty and full-time staff to submit travel expense statements as
of September 1, 2017 (see updated Travel Policy as of May 1, 2017), Financial
Services will be offering drop-in Concur training sessions.

All new faculty and
staff, as well as new Concur users or those who need more training, are welcome
to drop in or RSVP to one of the following designated sessions, which will run
April 25 until August 31, 2017 in the Little Dining Room (next to the Faculty
Lounge):

Call for Honorary Degree Nominations

The Senate Honorary Degrees
Committee invites all members of the Lakehead University community to
submit nominations for honorary degree recipients to be awarded at the
2018 Convocations in Thunder Bay and Orillia.

Lakehead University grants honorary degrees to individuals who have
accomplished extraordinary achievements and remarkable service, and who
support the values of advanced learning and the pursuit of knowledge.

Qualifying nominees will be considered at an in-camera meeting of the
Senate during the fall term and those approved will be added to the
Senate Approved Honorary Degree Nominees List.

The Senate Honorary Degrees Committee will select recipients from the
list each year. Names placed on the Senate Approved Honorary Degree
Nominees List shall remain there for a period of three years, after
which time the name may be removed from the list if the nominee has not
been selected or re-nominated.

Instructors requiring an online mycourselink course site for an upcoming academic session can submit their requests now.

Click the Request an Online Course Site button located at the top of
your class roster in myInfo, and you'll receive an email to your
Lakehead University email account confirming the successful set-up of
your online course site.

PLEASE NOTE: A new site request will need to be made each time a course
is offered. Content can be migrated from a previously used site to the
new one by selecting the Migrate Course option on the Request Form.

Aramark Hours of Operation

The following are the fall hours of operation for dining at Lakehead University Thunder Bay.

Agora Starbucks

Monday to Thursday - 7:30 am to 7:30 pm

Friday - 7:30 am to 3:30 pm

Weekends & Holidays Closed

ATAC Persian Man

Monday to Thursday - 8:00 am to 8:30 pm

Friday - 8:00 am to 3:30 pm

Weekends & Holidays Closed

Library Café

Monday to Thursday – 9:30 am to 4:00 pm

Friday – 9:30 am to 3:30 pm

Weekends & Holidays Closed

PACI Café

Monday to Thursday – 10:30 am to 4:30 pm

Friday – 10:30 am to 3:30 pm

Weekends & Holidays Closed

Main Cafeteria

Monday to Thursday – 8:00 am to 5:30 pm

Friday – 8:00 am to 3:30 pm

Weekends & Holidays Closed

Residence Dining Hall

Monday to Friday – 7:30 am to 7:30 pm

Weekends & Holidays – 9:00 am to 7:00 pm

Dan’s Diner

Sunday to Thursday – 7:30 pm to Midnight

Friday & Saturday – 7:30 pm to 2 am

Avila Pizza Pizza

Monday to Sunday – 5:30 pm to Midnight

Closed on Holidays

Graduate Assistantship Workshop - Thursday, Aug. 31

Attention Graduate Students!

If you have been awarded a Graduate Assistantship (GA) please note
that there will be a mandatory Professional Development Workshop, for
first year GAs, on Thursday, Aug. 31 from 9:30 am until 1 pm in ATAC
1003 (Thunder Bay Campus) and OA 1025 (Orillia Campus).

Topics covered include: marking papers, leading seminars, being a lab
instructor, and issues related to ethical behaviour, harassment and
discrimination. Graduate Assistants will receive work credit for
attending the workshop.

Please note that this workshop is only for students who have received a Graduate Assistantship.

Mitacs information session for Graduate students - Thursday, Sept. 7

The Office of Research Services is hosting an information session for Graduate students with Mitacs.
Would you like to learn how to put your talent to work with an
organization in Canada or travel overseas to conduct research? Then
Mitacs might just be the opportunity for you!
Christine Macdonald, Director, Business Development & Team Lead -
Ontario, Mitacs Inc., will be at Lakehead University on Thursday, Sept. 7
to deliver an information session on the various programs Mitacs
offers for graduate students from 12 to 1:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge.

Nature Walk - Friday, Sept. 8

You don’t need to go far to access
the beautiful scenery and tranquil nature that is all around us! The Office of
Sustainability will offer a guided walk to explore some of the
natural features of campus.

While on the walk, learn about recycling procedures, water bottle refilling stations, the community garden, and other sustainability initiatives.

Maadaadizi means he/she starts a
journey in the Ojibwe language. This joint post-secondary Aboriginal
Student Orientation will be held at Marina Park on Saturday, Sept. 9
from 2 to 7 pm.

This special day will welcome post-secondary Aboriginal students and
their families to their respective institutions and to the City of
Thunder Bay.

Ted Nolan will be the keynote speaker and the day will include musical performances by Crystal
Shawanda and Nick Sherman. Information booths by various organizations
will be set-up, children’s activities, prizes and refreshments will be
available.

This event is free and everyone is welcome to attend. We hope to see you there, rain or shine!

Men's Basketball Annual Lobster Dinner Fundraiser - Saturday, Oct. 14

The
Men's Basketball Annual Lobster Dinner Fundraiser will be held on
Saturday, Oct. 14 at 5:30 pm at the Italian Cultural Centre.

The night begins with an oyster
shucking bar and short symposium, followed by dinner at 6 pm. For
seafood lovers, the lobsters are sure to satisfy.

For those less enthused about
seafood, there is also an option of chicken and pork buffet with endless
potato and rice. All meals are served with family style mussels, salad,
buns, dessert, and coffee. Nobody leaves hungry!

Throughout the evening there will also be several attendance draws,
raffle prizes, silent auctions, and various fun games that will test
your skill and luck.

If that weren’t enough excitement, your ticket will also get you free
admission to the men’s basketball game at 1 pm on Saturday, Oct. 14.

The Annual Lobster Dinner is a
fundraiser to support the Lakehead University Men's Basketball Team's
activities, including travel, recruiting, supplementing the meal
allowance on road trips, etc.

Without such contributions, along with the support of the Back Court
Club, the Team could not compete with the best in Canada as it has over
the past seasons.